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PWHL Announces Expansion Plans

The PWHL has announced they plan on expanding the league by the start of the 2025-26 season.

Nick Horwat

Jan 6, 2024; St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; Montreal forward Tereza Vanisova (21) and Minnesota forward Kendall Coyne (26) compete for the puck during the first period in a PWHL ice hockey game at XCel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Jan 6, 2024; St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; Montreal forward Tereza Vanisova (21) and Minnesota forward Kendall Coyne (26) compete for the puck during the first period in a PWHL ice hockey game at XCel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) opened operations with six teams for the 2023-24 season, and after two years, they are already looking to expand. The PWHL announced that they plan on adding two teams as part of league expansion.

PWHL senior vice president of business operations Amy Scheer said they want to have to teams ready for the start of the 2025-26 season. Scheer announced at the espnW summit that there is a plan to request for proposal to explore possible locations across North America.

Already with teams in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, New York, Boston, and Minnesota, the PWHL, numerous other cities seem ready and willing to take on a women’s professional hockey team.

During their inaugural season, the PWHL hosted neutral site games in Detroit and Pittsburgh; both markets could be targets for expansion.

After just one season of operation, the PWHL has taken the hockey world by storm as the premier destination for women’s hockey. Minnesota capped off the first season by becoming the league’s first Walter Cup champions.

The six active teams didn’t have names for their first season but have since selected names and logos for the second year.

The Toronto Sceptres, Montreal Victorie, Ottawa Charge, New York Sirens, Boston Fleet, and Minnesota Frost all look forward to welcoming new teams as the PWHL grows.

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Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

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